'Sillitoe Tartan'

The chequered cap band was first introduced c1960. The suggestion came from Sergeant H.C. Bradtke, the then Recruiting Sergeant, and was adopted by the Commissioner of the South Australia Police, Mr McKinna as a ready means to easily distinguish police from other organisations. The South Australia Police were the first Australian Police Service to introduce the chequered cap band. When Orlando Wilson, the head of the Chicago Police, visited Australia in the mid-1970's he was much taken with it and introduced it in the Chicago Force. The black and white chequered cap band, or 'Sillitoe Tartan' was named after the Chief Constable of Glasgow, Sir Percy Sillitoe, who introduced it for cap bands in 1932. It is today accepted almost world-wide as the official police logo.